


Monster

by imperativa



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: F/F, I tagged it anyway, If You Squint - Freeform, M/M, Major Character death?, SorMik, Tainted Sorey, but not really because Alisha is cradling her so, idk it's kinda open-ended lol, major deaths?, rosali
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-10-01 08:57:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10185653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imperativa/pseuds/imperativa
Summary: Lailah solemnly closed her eyes and shook her head, wincing when another powerful attack hit their weakened blockade. She held her hands tauter, wavering at every blast.“It’s too late, Mikleo-san. He’s too far gone."





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Crazyloststar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyloststar/gifts), [strikedawn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/strikedawn/gifts).



> I swore to myself I would NEVER put lyrics in a fic, but I listened to "Monster" by Starset, and it just fit. Please listen to it while reading.
> 
> For Alex, for being the best senpai in the world. I love you dearly.
> 
> Also for Blue, for a (very) late birthday present, since you wouldn't let me send you a charm, lol! BUT I HAD TO DO SOMETHING FOR YOU I'M SORRY.

A myriad of colors danced through the sky behind them. Red, yellow, and green sparkles of light swirled about, creating beautiful designs in the darkness.

 _Under the knife I surrendered_  
_The innocence yours to consume_  
 _You cut it away_  
 _And you filled me up with hate_

Lailah raised her hands in front of her, creating a barrier to shield the two humans and seraphim. Behind her, Alisha cradled a bloodied Rose to her chest, tears flowing her cheeks. Dezel stood protectively over the two, arms held out in a defensive manner, but he knew they were too late.

 _Into the silence you sent me_  
_Into the fire consumed_  
 _You thought I'd forget_  
 _But it's always in my head_

Edna, sweet little Edna… where was Edna? She was obviously still fighting, if the gargantuan pieces of earth spewing diagonally from the ground were anything to go by. And when did Zaveid get there? Had he been helping the whole time?

 _You're the pulse in my veins_  
_You're the war that I wage_  
 _Can you change me?_  
 _Can you change me?_

“Mikleo-san!” Mikleo was roused from his unconsciousness at Lailah’s shriek. He struggled to sit up, having taken a great blast to his back. Parts of his cloak were burned off, and he felt a searing pain pulse on his left shoulder with every breath he took. He stood up shakily, using his staff for support.

 _You're the love that I hate_  
_You're the drug that I take_  
 _Will you cage me?_  
 _Will you cage me?_  
 _You're the pulse in my veins_  
 _You're the war that I wage_  
 _Can you change me?_  
 _Can you change me?_

“L-Lailah,” the water seraph stuttered, “Where is he?”

Lailah solemnly closed her eyes and shook her head, wincing when another powerful attack hit their weakened blockade. She held her hands tauter, wavering at every blast.

“It’s too late, Mikleo-san. He’s too far gone-“

_From the monster you made me?  
The monster you made me?_

“No!” Mikleo screamed, stumbling forward, weapon raised and ready to fight. “I won’t accept that answer.”

Edna appeared a moment later, seeking refuge within the fire seraph’s pathetic protective block. “I’ve seen it myself, Meebo.” She turned quickly, umbrella pointed beyond the raised mountains she had created, and lifted them higher. She glanced at Mikleo from the side, and sighed wearily, “He’s gone.”

“Where’s Zaveid?” Dezel growled.

Edna shrugged and twirled her umbrella. “He thinks Siegfried might do the trick-“

“This isn’t a joke, Edna!” Mikleo cut her off furiously.

“I never said it was, Meebo!” the girl shot back, “but he’s already a hellion. You saw what he did to _you_. What he did to _Rose_! You see what he’s doing to the _world_.”

“I’m not just going to sit around while you all give up on him. I’m going out there.”

“Mikleo-sama!” Alisha cried and tightened her hold on the fatally wounded Rose. “Please! Please stay here. We can figure something else out, or let Zaveid-sama take care of it, but please,” she pleaded, “don’t sacrifice yourself.”

“The princess is right, Mikleo,” Rose coughed and a dribble of blood stained her lips, “let someone more experienced take care of him, yeah?”

Mikleo ignored her and thrust his mother’s staff out, clearing a space for himself to escape through Lailah’s barrier.

Once he made it through, he looked at his friends, all staring back at him with equal looks of shock written on their faces.

“I’m not going to let Zaveid kill Sorey.” He strode forward, intense amethyst eyes shining with determination.

 _My heart's an artifice, a decoy soul_  
_Who knew the emptiness could be so cold?_  
 _I've lost the parts of me that make me whole_  
 _I am the darkness_  
 _I'm a monster_

He followed the flashes of green. They were close. Zaveid was close. Mikleo’s eyes darted around, narrowing when he spotted a shadow in the dust and rubble. The long white hair was a dead-giveaway.

“Zaveid!” He ran forward and pushed placed his arm around Zaveid’s waist, helping him into a sitting position.

“Hey, kid,” Zaveid laughed and coughed, “get back to the others. I’ll put him down.”

“I can’t let you do that, Zaveid.”

Zaveid cocked his eyebrow and laughed, “And you’re going to stop me?”

“No,” Mikleo whispered and held his hand out, ”but I’m going to be the one to do it.”

Zaveid’s fist clenched around Siegfried and he furrowed his brows, “I don’t know if that’s the best idea, Mikleo. You shouldn’t have to live with that on your shoulders, but,” he placed the gun into the shaking seraph’s opened hand, “I understand where you’re coming from.” Of course he did. _Eizen,_ Mikleo thought.

“Thank you. You should go back to the others.”

Zaveid nodded and stood up, brushing dust and debris from his trousers. “Good luck, kid,” he saluted before jogging away.

Mikleo held Siegfried to his chest and shuddered.

 _You're the pulse in my veins_  
_You're the war that I wage_  
 _Can you change me?_  
 _Can you change me?_

He pressed on.

And he found him, eventually, standing rigidly at the throne of Artorious. Or, what was left of it. Which was absolutely nothing. The Shepherd was shrouded in malevolence, surrounded by darkness.

“Sorey!”

Sorey glanced up and Mikleo gasped. His eyes were completely black.

“ _No-_ “

 _You're the love that I hate_  
_You're the drug that I take_  
 _Will you cage me?_  
 _Will you cage me?_

With a war cry, Sorey advanced, sword cutting. Mikleo just had time to block the vicious attack.

“Sorey, please! It’s me, it’s Mikleo!”

Sorey snarled and slashed his sword again, as if he hadn’t heard a word Mikleo said.

“Stop it, Sorey!” he dodged the blow, “Twin flow!” Blue light streamed from his staff, knocking his opponent on his back. “Sorey!”

 _You're the pulse in my veins_  
_You're the war that I wage_  
 _Can you change me?_  
 _Can you change me?_

Again, the Shepherd ignored his closest friend, and ran at him with another attack, this time catching Mikleo off guard. Mikleo’s weapon was hit from his hands, and he cried out when the sword was embedded in his gut, slicing through his skin as if it were butter.

“S-Sorey-!”

Sorey stopped, black eyes widening and blinking, but no emotion was clear on his face. Mikleo took this moment of faltering to grip the base of the sword and pull it out before turning it around and plunging it into Sorey’s chest.

Sorey’s eyes narrowed and he grit his teeth. A hiss escaped his lips, and as he went to remove his sword from his chest, Mikleo held the gun to Sorey’s temple. With his free hand, he cupped Sorey’s cheek, rubbing his thumb over the skin.

“I’m so sorry, Sorey. I’m sorry it came to this.”

As Mikleo pulled the trigger, he could have sworn Sorey’s eyes flashed green once more.

 _From the monster you made me?_  
_The monster you made me?_  
 _The monster you made me?_  
 _The monster you made me?_

**Author's Note:**

> this has been sitting in my documents for awhile and I've finally gathered the courage to post it, because I haven't posted anything in awhile. I've been really sick, and I've kinda lost my motivation for my ONS fics :(
> 
> but. yeah. well. yeah. if you see any typos? just comment and I'll fix it, because I didn't actually read over this. I just sorta moved my fingers and typed lmao.


End file.
